On the first day of school, Gunther* had difficulties in class. He cried about doing any writing and refused to get books or pencils out. Gunther dumped his crayons on the floor and tipped his chair. His face grew red with anger at my insistence that he act appropriately. The other 3rd graders in my class began sneaking glances at him every time a direction was provided. They were wondering what I was wondering—what exactly would he do next? By the middle of the day, Gunther was crawling across the floor and hiding under the small group table. Needless to say, the principal of my elementary school came down to help. He arranged a meeting with Gunther's parents and we strategized. Then Gunther returned to the room. But as Gunther had correctly pointed out earlier that day: "You can't make me do anything!" He was right.

A Bridge to Better Behavior

After working with typical, compliant students who want to please their teacher or just want to learn, it can be unnerving to face the reality that students can rebel against direction. A defiant student can appear to be in control because a teacher can't "force" student compliance. From my perspective, I needed Gunther to want to follow my directions, complete assignments, and allow others to work. So how does one cope with the behavior of a student who is defiant? Gunther led me to engage a process I have undertaken numerous times in my 20-year teaching career. I organized and instituted a behavior-management plan.

At its most basic, a behavior-management plan is a reward system designed to give the student a sense of control and recognition for sought behaviors. The defiant student should recognize his negative actions as unwanted (if only unwanted by the teacher) and understand the trade-off that the behavior represents. They should also come to see her specific actions as being connected to positive or negative consequences. I have found the most success with positive reinforcement strategies. Interventions provide a short-term bridge between a current behavior and a desired behavior.

Behavior-management plans have five components: collect data, plan reward/punishment system, meet with student, try out the system, and evaluate results. In the final part of the plan, you will be deciding whether to repeat or cancel the intervention. Each stage in the procedure can be simple or more complicated, depending on the time you have available and requirements of the student. Take notes on each stage and be sure to record the date.

Collect Data

First, you'll need specific data to delineate exactly which activities the student can and can't complete, and why. Begin by placing normal demands on the student. Observe the student's work habits in a whole group and in an independent work environment. Take notes on the behaviors the student engages in during more than one work session. You will need detailed notes about exactly what the student is doing. (You may correct student behavior while observing them without affecting the data's quality.) Record specific behaviors such as the amount of time spent on-task, what the student does when off task, the number of redirects required, and the effect on other students.

Collect and grade the work the student has completed during the observation. Attach notes to the work to indicate the amount of time the work took to complete, the date, and the time of day. Consider and list the student's strengths and weaknesses. Creating a list of both academic and behavioral skills allows you to see patterns in the student's behaviors. You will need to know if the behavior is affecting one area of academics more than another.

Call the parents to share your concerns, ask for insights into potential causes, and discuss the student's history in school. Parents can reveal important clues. For example, a student may be bringing his lunch home uneaten every day, which might explain his lack of focus in the afternoon. Or the student may now be staying at a relative's house instead of her home, which might explain her need to control her surroundings in school. Take notes on any information the parent provides.

Talk with the student one-on-one about his personal interests. What does she do for fun? What does he think his strengths are? Students may reveal that they are aware of their deficiencies and are frustrated by them. This could lead into a discussion of how you can work together to help them. Letting students know you are on their side can go a long way toward improving their behavior. Again, take notes on your meeting and add them to your file on the student. Lastly, seek out the assistance of the school's guidance counselor and former teachers. They may have insights into the student's needs and history.

Make a Plan

Determine the student's most serious behavior needs based on frequency, effect on ability to work and learn, or effect on others' ability to work and learn. Select only one behavior to target with your intervention, and use your data as a baseline. Figure out approximately how often the behavior occurs in a day. Now set a target number slightly lower than that. Make the initial target easy to reach so that the student gains confidence that she can be successful. The targets will move week by week, until the student is able to not display the behavior 90 percent of the time, or more. (Students with more intense needs may require you to have their behavior tracked and rewarded daily. Other students might benefit from a three-day cycle.)

Meet

Next, meet with the student and explain your expectations relative to the target behavior. Ask him if he understands why you'd like him to change and offer an explanation focused on your desire to see him succeed academically, socially, or both. Show her a chart on which you will track her progress toward their goal. Both you and the student must have ready access to the chart. Give the student the choice as to where the chart will be placed. She may want it taped to her desktop where she can see it, or she may be embarrassed by the chart and want to keep it on your desk or in a folder. It should be as private as the student requires.

Let students set the rewards, but guide them with suggestions and be prepared to reject ideas as needed. Here are some rewards I have used in the past:

Computer use during recess

Stickers

Hang-out time in the class library

Lunch with the teacher

Time to read a book from home

Time to do nothing

Choose any game for the teacher to play with you at recess

Coloring/drawing time

Try It Out

As you test the plan, observe and meet with the student for a few minutes, daily, to review his success or failure to meet the goal.

Evaluate

Each week, review the behavior goal with the student. Be prepared to continue using a goal that the student found challenging. The goal from week one should be easy enough that it's only used that week. The week two goal is often used for two or three weeks before increasing the difficulty. By week four, the goal (when met) should represent a significant change in the student's behavior. Continue using the plan until the desired result is reached. Generally, if the student's progress is limited and has not met your expectation after six weeks, you should consider stopping and resetting the process by selecting a new behavior to target and an easily achievable goal. Begin again and track the student's progress as before. Keep all behavior charts and send copies home to parents or guardians.

Many students have been able to adjust their behavior when I implemented this behavior-management plan. Progress builds on the early successes, and with each new goal, students can refer back to the ways they have already changed their behavior. Students become empowered by using this procedure and see themselves as the sole reason for their successes.

When Gunther told me that I couldn't make him do anything, he was correct. But I motivated Gunther to change and guided him to elicit the behaviors necessary for academic success. The following year, Gunther had a positive approach to school and knew the behaviors he needed to demonstrate for his teacher.

* Gunther is not a real student but rather an amalgam of students taught by both myself and colleagues. The behaviors described are real.

Joseph Sulock has been teaching at a public elementary school in New Jersey for 17 years. He has a master's degree in educational administration from George Washington University and is certified to teach special and regular education.